Seth sat home, again on his bed. Marissa was saved, for now and Ryan was
off somewhere. For the moment, Seth was just enjoying his time alone. He'd
just settled in when there was a knock on his door. He heaved a sigh, threw
down his comic book, and answered the door.
"Summer, what are you doing here?" He stammered. She looked somehow softer than she ever had. Like she'd let down some sort of barrier she always held up.
"I just wanted to talk. Is that okay?"
"Yeah, come in." He opened the door widely for her and she entered. He closed the door and followed behind her. After a minute of quiet, he asked the only logical question. "What did you want to talk about?" She looked around after his question.
"Where's Captain Oats?" She directed her attention back to him. He looked puzzled but fished around in a desk drawer and pulled him out.
"Why do you want to see him? Come to tease me some more?" He asked holding the pony out at her.
"No, actually I was trying all day to figure out why you would possibly have that and something kept nagging at me to find out." She looked straight into his eyes. "Mind telling me?"
"It was a gift that I never gave. I have no fascination in ponies. It reminds me of someone; someone---" He was going to finish that sentence, but thought the better of it.
"Oh, who does it remind you of?" She asked.
"Why does it matter to you?"
"I already told you. I have this weird curiosity. Just answer the question."
"It reminds me of the little girl with the brown pigtails, who invited me to her birthday party, but slammed the door in my face. It reminds me of the girl who I thought was the prettiest, sweetest little girl in the second grade. It reminds me of the little girl who I gave a pink heart valentine, even though I got made fun of for it. It reminds me of a girl that will never love me as much as I love her."
Suddenly everything clicked in her mind. A little girl with brown pigtails, who got a big pink valentine in 2nd grade, the little girl obsessed with ponies. It all made sense.
"Are you sure about that little girl? A lot can change in that many years. Maybe she just never looked beyond her front yard to see the pasture that waited for her."
"Sometimes I think people never really change."
"Can I take him with me? I think the little girl with the pigtails would like him." She pointed again at the pony.
For the longest time he just stared at her. She was even more beautiful now it seemed, than when she was in second grade, that memory of her. He thought about Captain Oats and how he'd always served to remind him of that little girl. Slowly he held out the toy.
"Thanks, Seth." She stepped closer, reached out for the horse, and kissed him on the cheek. She turned away to leave his room, but before she reached the door she turned around one more time. She smiled just a little and then opened the wooden door.
He sighed a little. He'd given up a friend, a silly toy. In the end, he didn't really need Captain Oats anymore. He had the little brown haired girl with the pigtails, and that was more than he could ever ask for.
"Summer, what are you doing here?" He stammered. She looked somehow softer than she ever had. Like she'd let down some sort of barrier she always held up.
"I just wanted to talk. Is that okay?"
"Yeah, come in." He opened the door widely for her and she entered. He closed the door and followed behind her. After a minute of quiet, he asked the only logical question. "What did you want to talk about?" She looked around after his question.
"Where's Captain Oats?" She directed her attention back to him. He looked puzzled but fished around in a desk drawer and pulled him out.
"Why do you want to see him? Come to tease me some more?" He asked holding the pony out at her.
"No, actually I was trying all day to figure out why you would possibly have that and something kept nagging at me to find out." She looked straight into his eyes. "Mind telling me?"
"It was a gift that I never gave. I have no fascination in ponies. It reminds me of someone; someone---" He was going to finish that sentence, but thought the better of it.
"Oh, who does it remind you of?" She asked.
"Why does it matter to you?"
"I already told you. I have this weird curiosity. Just answer the question."
"It reminds me of the little girl with the brown pigtails, who invited me to her birthday party, but slammed the door in my face. It reminds me of the girl who I thought was the prettiest, sweetest little girl in the second grade. It reminds me of the little girl who I gave a pink heart valentine, even though I got made fun of for it. It reminds me of a girl that will never love me as much as I love her."
Suddenly everything clicked in her mind. A little girl with brown pigtails, who got a big pink valentine in 2nd grade, the little girl obsessed with ponies. It all made sense.
"Are you sure about that little girl? A lot can change in that many years. Maybe she just never looked beyond her front yard to see the pasture that waited for her."
"Sometimes I think people never really change."
"Can I take him with me? I think the little girl with the pigtails would like him." She pointed again at the pony.
For the longest time he just stared at her. She was even more beautiful now it seemed, than when she was in second grade, that memory of her. He thought about Captain Oats and how he'd always served to remind him of that little girl. Slowly he held out the toy.
"Thanks, Seth." She stepped closer, reached out for the horse, and kissed him on the cheek. She turned away to leave his room, but before she reached the door she turned around one more time. She smiled just a little and then opened the wooden door.
He sighed a little. He'd given up a friend, a silly toy. In the end, he didn't really need Captain Oats anymore. He had the little brown haired girl with the pigtails, and that was more than he could ever ask for.